"Paul said, 'Look, if things work out and James wasn't coaching, would you take on the job?" Thompson told the Herald Sun.

"And I never answered. Basically I said, 'When that happens, or if that happens, then come and ask me then'."

Thompson went on an overseas holiday the next day.

In November, Little insisted Hird had the full support of the club and that there had been no plan to remove him.

No job for me, says Thompson

Thompson says that if he had accepted Little's proposition he would have felt he had betrayed Hird.

"It wasn't the right thing to do, and it's not the right thing to ask me to do, to be honest," Thompson said.

"It was very hard to predict what anyone was going to do and I know they (Essendon) changed their minds a fair bit in a quick amount of time.

"I thought they were going to sack Hirdy. But I never said to In a unanimous judgement on Friday, Hird's Federal Court appeal against last September's decision by Justice John Middleton which found that the joint investigation by the AFL and ASADA into Essendon's supplements program was legal.

Hird has been ordered to pay all costs and has 28 days to appeal to the High Court if he wishes to pursued the matter.

As a result, the fate of the 34 current-and-ex Essendon players handed infraction notices is up to a special hearing by the AFL tribunal. That case - which is not open to the media - has been going for several weeks and will resume on February 16 after taking a short break.

"The legislative scheme envisaged that there would be close co-operation between Asada and sporting administration bodies such as the AFL," said Federal court Justice Susan Kenny in quotes from The Guardian on Friday.

"Mr Hird and the 34 players voluntarily accepted the obligations under the AFL's player rules and Anti-Doping Code to attend interviews and answer questions fully and truthfully, or face possible sanction by the AFL," she said.

"Mr Hird and the 34 players were all legally represented at their interviews. They could have been in no doubt about the purposes of the interview."

Hird is reportedly overseas at present on holiday as the Bombers take a short break from training.

But at this stage, it appears likely he will remain as Essendon coach - as contracted - for the next two seasons.

This was despite the Bombers legend coming very close to being given the sack after breaking ranks with the club and appealing Justice Middleton's decision.

At the time, it looked as if Hird's Federal Court Appeal would cost him his position, with The Age senior writer Caroline Wilson seemingly told by the club he had been sacked.

The move to sack Hird appeared to have Essendon chairman to approach Mark Thompson - the Bombers' stand-in coach last season - and ask him if he was prepared to take on the role full-time.

"Paul said, 'Look, if things work out and James wasn't coaching, would you take on the job?" Thompson told the Herald Sun on Thursday.

"And I never answered. Basically I said, 'When that happens, or if that happens, then come and ask me then'."

"It wasn't the right thing to do, and it's not the right thing to ask me to do, to be honest," Thompson said.

"It was very hard to predict what anyone was going to do and I know they (Essendon) changed their minds a fair bit in a quick amount of time.

"I thought they were going to sack Hirdy. But I never said to them once I would coach."